The more I think about it, the more wrong this entire point becomes.
Generation Y cannot be responsible for the current Superman because Superman under Johns and Kurt Busiek is cool, whereas Generation Y is the least cool generation in human history. One would have to look back to the cheroot-puffing, Irving Berlin-listening doughboys of the 1910's to find a less cool generation. Generation Y combines the authoritarianism and brick-wall denseness of the "Great Santini/Archie Bunker" generation with the unbelievable consumerist selfishness of the 1970s-plus "Me" generation.
I will concede that the terminally uncool MySpace generation may have had one effect on Superman: no other generation would have tolerated a married Superman. Even Len Wein and Maggin suggested ever so subtly that Superman knocked boots with Lois and Lana outside the bonds of Holy Matrimony. Maggin even wanted to get rid of Lois altogether and have Big Blue run around with space babes.
This line made me realize where all this is coming from:
At this time, an older friend of mine began recommending comics for me to read- "new classics" if you will. I found that I absolutely hated everything he recommended to me, from Watchmen, Sin City, Dark Knight Returns, you name it. Until he bought me a copy of "Whatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow?" and then I knew that Superman was at one time optimistic, creative, and fun.
Generation X's great discovery, the one that made stars all over again out of losers like Gary Coleman, the two Coreys, Shatner, and Hasselhoff, was
ironic appreciation.
That is, being able to appreciate something because of its unintentional awfulness, like, say, the Superbowl Shuffle, American Gladiators, or Dustin "Screech" Diamond's low-selling album, SCREECH: GOTSTA GIT FUNKY.
Generation Y, however, has grown up with irony and ironic appreciation to the point of immersion. Is it possible that Generation Y has so thoroughly internalized irony, that they just aren't able to tell the difference between honest appreciation and ironic appreciation?
Is it REALLY that Generation Y is less cynical that Generation X, or is it that Generation Y
just doesn't get the joke? You didn't like DARK KNIGHT RETURNS and WATCHMEN. This I can understand. DKR is a great miniseries, but it really requires a lot of its context to understand completely. And WATCHMEN is nowhere near Moore's best stuff. Its main mystery is tangental to the plot, it has dozens of annoying subplots that don't go anywhere.
If it was up to me, I'd replace WATCHMEN and DKR's hallowed, untouchable place in comics lore with the Englehart DETECTIVE and AVENGERS runs, anything written by Alan Brennert ever, Steve Gerber's DEFENDERS, Busiek's THUNDERBOLTS, and the Jim Shooter/Curt Swan ADVENTURE COMICS with Superboy and the Legion of Super-Heroes.
But going back to the main point...what does all this have to do with Gen Y having internalized irony? Alan Moore's Superman stuff is fantastic and is rightfully well-remembered. However, you need irony, at some level, to appreciate the Kryptonite Man, those absurd Flash Gordon fins on the Legion of Super-Villains, and Jimmy Olsen and Lana Lang getting powers (along with outfits that make them look like an Australian's Nightmare).
Lots of people enjoy DKR and WATCHMEN for many reasons, but ironic appreciation is not among them. On the other hand, Moore and his Superman downright thrives on it at some level. He played the death of Krypto straight, sure, but even if Lana Lang's final fate was tragic, at the same time...it isn't able to surmount the entirely ridiculous plot point of her getting powers just like back in LOIS LANE. For comparison...even if you tell a tragic, serious tale of Steve Urkel's clone being kiled in a transformation chamber accident, you still can't surmount the triple whammy of 1) Urkel, 2) cloning, and 3) transformation chamber hijinks.
I don't in any way mean to disparage your enjoyment of an excellent miniseries, or of classic sixties Superman. I am, however, pointing out that the juxtaposition of this with works like DKR is significant.
So, in conclusion, I ask:
Wat'chu talkin 'bout, Gangbuster?